Filing case



July 3, 192 M. H. POINDEXTER 1,721,529

.' FILING bAsE Filed June 6, 1927 8 a 4 6 \J, P17400670 021' PatentedJuly 23, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARLIN HATFIELD POINDEXTER, OF NEXVTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FILING CASE.

Application filed. June 6,

My invention relates to filing cases for holding papers and the like inclassified or orderly arrangement for convenient reference, andparticularly to partitions "for use in filing cases of this character.

In filing cases of the character referred to the papers or the like arestacked-on edge and it is customary to provide several independentpartitions of stiff paper mainly for the purpose of separating thepapers into groups which are indexed on said partitions. In order toprovioe for convenient reference to any of the papers it is necessary toleave the latter assembled or stacked. within the tiling case orcontainer in a loose condition and as a result the papers and thepartitions would slip down within the case and become disarranged. hlyinvention has for its object to obviate this objectionable feature andto otherwise improve the construction of filing cases and moreesspecially the partitions thereof. To these ends I have provided animproved tiling case having the peculiar features of construction andmode of operation set forth in the following description, the novel 1i1tures thereof being particularly pointed out and defined in the claimsat the close of the description. My invention further consists inproviding a novel partition for filing cases more particularly describedlater.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of one of thedrawers or containers of a filing-cabinet, the same being constructed inaccordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is aplan view of one end portion of the partition shown in Fig.1.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a filing case constructed inaccordance with my invention and embodying a dilterent form of partitionfrom that shown in Fig. 1.

Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of the partition of the filingcase shown in Fig. 3.

The container 1 of the tiling ease illustrated in Fig. 1 is herein shownas the drawer of a filing cabinet, said drawer being constructed, asusual, with a front wall indicated by dotted lines at 2, two side walls3, 3 and two bottom boards 4:, 4, the latter being separated at themiddle of the drawer to provide the bottom of the latter with alongitudinal slot 5 within which is arranged the usual retaining rod 6.

1927. Serial No. 196,938.

The particular novelty of the structure illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2resides in the partition 7 with SGVQl'ill of which the drawer 1 may beprovided. This partition 7 is made from an approximately rectangularpiece of sheet-metal oi. awidth slightly less than the width of theinterior of the drawer 1 and of a height greater than the sides 3, 3 ofthe drawer. The lower edge of this sheet-met al. partition 7 is providedat its middle with a tab or tang 8 which projects down into the slot 5.This tang 8 is made at its middle with an aperture or hole 9 to receivethe retaining rod 6 around which it fits loosely.

Each side marginal portion of the sheetmetal partition 7 is moulded toprovide upon one side of said partition a vertical groove 10 preferablyextending from top to bottom of said partition, and upon the oppositeside thereof a vertical rib 11. As will be clear this moulding of themarginal portion of the sheet metal partition 7 very et :tectuallystittens the latter thus permitting the use of quite thin sheet-metalfrom which to produce the partition. The main purpose, however,.of thusmoulding each side marginal portion of the sheet metal partition is toprovide the latter with means to interlock with a vertically adjustablespring clip rest 12.

Each spring clip 12 is made with a pair of oppositely disposed springarms 13 and Lt to embrace and grip the side marginal portion of thepartition, the former being made with a transverse rib to occupy thegroove 10 and the latter being made with a transverse socket or groove16 to be occupied by the rib 11. As will be clear the grip of the twoarms 13 and 14; upon the partition 7 serves to frictionally hold theclip in adjusted position while the engagement of the rib 15 and socket16 with the groove 10 and rib 11, respectively, not only interlocks theclip withv the partition so that the former will not readily bedisplaced endwise but this engagement also serves to hold the clip atright angles to the side edge of the partition.

Between the two arms 13 and 14 of clip 12 and at the outer ends thereofis provided a transverse abutment'bar 17 which by engagement with theside edge of the par tition positively holds the outer end of the clip acertain desired distance away from the side edge of the partition 7.

Each partition of the file may be constructed as described and willinclude two the drawer, and it will be clear that since the outer endsof the clips 12 are extended beyond the planes of the front and backside faces ofthe partition they will support the latter in a verticalposition.

The top edge of the partition 7 may be provided with an upwardlyextending tab or tang 18 to receive, as usual, suitable indicia. Inpractice, I finish the partition by lithographing the side surfacesthereof with the indicia, or any other desired printed matter, upon thesame with the result that the partition is both ornamental andserviceable and will notbe injured or defaced by handling as hasheretofore been the case with partitions made from wood, cardboard orthe like.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have illustrated another form of partition 19 whereinthe side rests are constituted by integral side lugs 20, 2 each of whichhas its lower edge curled or bent to form an approximately cylindricallower portion 21, Fig. 4, the distinguishing feature of which is that itdoes not present a knife edge to engage the tops of the sides 3, 3 ofthe drawer and thereby interfere with free movement of the partitionthereon, but affords an edgeless bearing surface for engagement with thetop of the sides 3 so as to provide for free movement of the partitionthereon. lVhile the clips 12, 12 are made of spring sheet-metal and restedgewise upon the tops of the sides of the drawer, nevertheless theouter ends of these clips being extended. laterally well beyond theplanes of the front and back surfaces of the partition, said clips eachcover or engage an extended surface as to provide for free'slidingmovement of the clip on the top of the side of the drawer.

The form of partition shown in Figs. 3 and 4; of the drawing can be usedonly with a drawer having sides of a particular height but the form ofpartition shown in Figs. 1 and 2 provides for vertical adjustment of theclips 12 to adapt the partition to the height of the sides 3 whateverthe same may be. Therefore, this form of partition shown in Fig. 1 isadapted to be produced separately a new article of manufacture and soldfor incorporation in filing cabinets or cases that are already in use.

Vhat I claim is:

1. A partition for filing cases including a body consisting of a singlepiece of sheetmetal provided at each side edge thereof with a shoulderfor directly engaging one side wall of a container, said shoulder beingmade from sheet metal bent laterally so that it is of greater width thanthe thickness of said body.

2. A partition for filing cases including a body of sheet-metal havingopposite parallel side edges and shoulder-providing clips engaged withsaid opposite edges and adjustable vertically on said partition.

3. A partition for filing cases including a body of sheet metal havingits opposite side marginal portions each moulded to provide a verticalgroove upon one face of the partition and a vertical rib upon theopposite side thereof, and a pair of spring shoulder-providingpartition-supporting clips embracing and interlocking with said mouldedside marginal portions with provision for vertical adjustment. i

4-. A partition for filing cases comprising a body of sheet metal havingopposite parallel side edges and having its opposite side marginalportions each moulded to provide a vertical groove upon one face of thepartition and a vertical rib upon the opposite side thereof, and a pairof shoulder-providing partition-supporting clips each made with a pairof spring arms embracing one of said moulded side marginal portions andinterlocking with said groove and rib thereof.

Signed by me at Boston, county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,this 26th day of May, 1927.

MARLIN HATFIELD POINDEXTER.

